Whew! What a year. 2020 will be chronicled in history books and be the topic of innumerable “remember when?” discussions. In spite of all the cancelled events and social distancing, I bet you still managed to take some photos you will cherish… your first masks, the crazy smoky skies from the Colorado wildfires, birthdays, Snapchat filter favorites, a new furry family member...
Those images can get buried in your “recent photos” album on your phone OR you may begin a new tradition. What if every year, about this time, you sat still for a few moments to sort through all the photos on your phone - putting your favorites into their own album? (I prefer to do this on my computer because the screen is larger and “drag and drop” is easier on iCloud than on my phone.)
Next, have your immediate family do the same, unless you tend to be the designated photographer to capture your life’s photo journal. I even have my grown children send me a few images to make the collection more complete. And then… I invite you to create a “yearbook”.
There’s a ton of online sites that provide great layouts to help you design your album. I’ve used the photo center at Costco.com and Shutterfly.com. Shutterfly seems to allow you to make a larger book with more photos but Costco is very affordable.
As you design your family yearbook, be sure to include anecdotes and captions that will log this year for future times of reminiscing.
The process is slightly time consuming and sometimes emotional but the result is a keepsake that will be enjoyed in ways that you may not even have imagined. For example, my mother-in-law hasn’t been able to travel to see her grandkids this year and I know that she will pour over every page, reading every caption and tale included to try and make up for time lost.
I actually began this tradition a few years back and when extended family gathers, our “annuals” are often pulled off the shelf, and laughter echoes through the home. Special vacations are chronicled in their own memory books to help us remember the stories that couple with the scenes from places traveled.
And, when time permits, I scan photos from the years pre-dating the “cloud” and create books for the children to show their spouses and maybe someday, their own children. Bonus… all the stacks of old photographs can be “gifted” to the kids, decluttering and freeing up storage space at my house!
No matter what great memories you are destined to make in 2021, I hope you cherish the moments and remember to take photos! If this year includes a move, I hope you’ll let us help you orchestrate the process so your photo journal of the process includes lots of smiles!
Venture 727 Real Estate is always aiming to exceed your expectations. This blog features home and lifestyle tips, tricks and stories to inspire, motivate and entertain. We love helping our clients buy and sell property whenever you may be so inclined but our desire to be of value extends long before and long after contracts and closings!